People browse around stalls selling festival lights and Ramadan lanterns, or "fanoos Ramadan", at Sayida Zienab district market during the first day of Ramadan in old Cairo, Egypt June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

A woman with her daughter look at a stall selling festival lights and Ramadan lanterns, or "fanoos Ramadan", at Sayida Zienab district market during the first day of Ramadan in old Cairo, Egypt June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

El Mesaharty, Hussien, 40, wakes up residents for their pre-dawn meals during the first day of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Muslims attend the Ramadan tarawih prayer at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 5, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A salesman carries a prayer timetable to display it for sale ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Kolkata, India, June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

Muslim men look towards the sky to spot the crescent moon, on the eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque) in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A Muslim woman (L) reads the Koran as other pray during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta

A vendor pours traditional Ramadan drink on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Tripoli, Lebanon June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim

A migrant prays during the first day of Ramadan at a state-run camp for refugees and migrants in Schisto, near Athens, Greece June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Migrants pray during the first day of Ramadan at a state-run camp for refugees and migrants in Schisto, near Athens, Greece June 6, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

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June 6 (Reuters) - Muslims around the world began observing Ramadan on Monday, Islam's holy month during which believers abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.

But among those displaced by fighting in Iraq and Syria, many families say that tough living conditions will make it difficult for them to participate this year.

Falluja, already suffering water, food and medicine shortages, is being bombed by Iraqi forces, allied Shi'ite militias and aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition, in an offensive to retake the city from Islamic State militants.

Many families have fled to a nearby makeshift camp, where they say they have little electricity to keep them cool in the blistering heat of the daytime fasting hours, and little food to break the fast at dusk.

"Who can fast this year? Doesn't someone who fasts need to eat? We have nothing," said 75-year-old Shukriya Na'im, in comments echoed by many others in the camp.

"We used to lead a comfortable life when we were at our home. We used to fast and welcome Ramadan with happiness but now our life in the tents is so hard, diseases are rampant and it is too hot," Sana Khamis, also displaced, said.

In Damascus, many complained that economic hardship caused by Syria's five-year conflict made it hard to enjoy the month's festive spirit.

Ramadan traditionally begins the morning after the sighting of the crescent moon. In most countries it began on Monday, although some Muslims in countries including Oman, Pakistan, Iraq and Lebanon - were due to start a day later.